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Finally we are learning something, at least from one side of the story. We should wait to hear the other side. Then see what lessons can be learned that will benefit the entire industry so that we individually and maybe as an industry through our associations and organizations can make sure this sort of thing does not happen again, whatever happened, since it appears this is not what should happen. If I understand LSPEnder, he makes it appear that this sort of thing is just a random chance or risk, and I think we all agree that random chance and risks are what good and MODERN management and independent mutually agreed operating procedures could avoid, for them, for us, for everyone in the future. So, we wait. (I like Loggermike's animated smily face icon, imho)

Some of you might have noticed your posts have disappeared from this thread. Some were deleted due to being off topic, uncivil or inflammatory, but some were moved to a new thread on this forum titled "Can we prevent the "Bees Ripped Off" nightmares?.
I will stick that thread to the top for a day or two so it is easy to find, then let it float.
Sheri

Beesource is about educating beekeepers. Somehow I think a story about a group of everyday Joe beekeepers who likely put alot of work and risk to make money in California and lost out big time and asked for help is our business and is a good lesson for all of us. Don't you? If we help our friend from WV as well then that's great.

So now--what do you think about that! Everybody wants to know the truth--well--THERE IT IS!

So a group of beekeepers decided to do a Bernie Madoff on growers in California by intentionally sending a tractor trailer load of substandard hives to California. So what you're saying is they are agri-terrorists?

Me neither (they certainly are not "Made-Offs"), but I do want to wait and see all the facts from all sides before making any judgments, and then pondering it all, to see if there are solutions, remedies, and most important prevention tips from we all will benefit from helping here.

Bees ripped off update!

Well it has been some time since i posted an update. The reason is that i was asked not to from the others in our group. We did find many of our bees, in almonds of all places, pollinating, of all things. Many of our hives were stolen. Many that were not had the middle frames pulled and replaced with empty frames. The word that i am getting is several thousand dollars switched hands from the farmer to the broker and that the broker kept it. I am not trying to defame or incriminate nor slander anyone, but am just giving the message i received.

Our broker sent me a paper saying that my bees all were infested with every imaginable brood disease, etc. That they were dead and if i wanted to pay $44 for each hive he would arrange for them to come back. We declined and a group from our group went out personally and retrived our bees. We still had to pay $44 a hive to get them back. My bees had no disease and were strong. I personally received 70% of my colonies back, and they were strong enough that i needed to super them as soon as they came back.

Those who say they have personal knowledge of our bees and they were not strong enough are mistaken about our load. I am not saying that there were not other loads from WV that were not up to par, i can't speak for those, but ours were. The so called private investigator who "knows" so much either is friends with the theives or inspected some of our bees after they had frames stolen. But my bees were full and strong and pollinated almonds, at this point for free.

Hard to tell how many nucs were sold or packages shook out of our bees.

I want to thank all those who were concerned and offered to go and look for my bees. It means a lot.

This problem may be more widespread than we have previously been led to believe....those of us that question "California Dreamin" and other excuses. In Science, there are many theories, the general scientific or logical rule is that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. Ed "Steelton Man" offers not only the simplest explanation but also eye witness verification.

There is a joke about a wife who walks in on her cheating husband, and the cheating husband says to his wife, nothing happened, who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?

This will be a good learning experience as we now get more details and come up with various methods to protect ourselves from this.

Frames missing? Sounds like theft to me. I sure hope you bring criminal charges against the perps. There have always been a few thieves hanging around this business.Every now and then ,they get a 3 year date with Bubba.

I am wondering about the $44 also. That seems really high for shipping one way. Does this include the trip out also?
From here in Wisconsin I think we paid about $4700 one way. WV is further of course but even at double that the numbers just don't jive unless it is both ways and not a full load.
Truly an unfortunate situation.
Sheri

Jesse James

There was a fairly famous bee thief here in the central valley who told the judge at sentencing that he wanted to be remembered as the Jesse James of the beekeeping industry. One of his favorite scams was contracting for pollination, 50% on delivery. When grower calls for delivery, just cruise a few miles around, move em in, 50%, cash check, JOB IS DONE. Don't see much difference here.